The present invention relates to an improved divisible package box and more particularly to a divisible package box of a cube or rectangular parallelepiped, which is made of a sheet of cardboard, strawboard, or corrugated cardboard and which is divisible into at least two small boxes.
A variety of package boxes of a rectangular solid, which are made of cardboard, strawboard or corrugated cardboard, have been developed for containing and carrying various goods or small commodities. By using such package boxes, the goods may be not only protected but also carried and stored conveniently and rationally. The size of the package box is suitably determined depending on the sizes and kinds of the goods to be contained therein and carrying efficiency thereof. When the package box is too small, many hands are required for carrying and storing the goods therein, and thus the distribution cost is increased.
However, when a number of the same goods are contained within a large package box, the number of the goods per one lot is preferably reduced at the end of the distribution process, and accordingly the size of the box may be preferably smaller. Therefore, generally the goods are contained in small boxes and then a plurality of these small boxes are contained in a large box. At the retail store, the small boxes are taken out of the large box, and the small boxes are sold to the end user. In this case, two kinds of package boxes are required, with the result of increased packaging costs.
In order to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of the conventional packing method, a divisible package box which is divisible into two small boxes as occasion demands, each divided small box having the overall functions of a package box, is disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Laying-Open Specification No. 57-159635.
FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of such a divisible package box.
In this case, the divisible package box comprises a sheet member including a bottom section 1, a pair of side sections 2 integrally connected to the opposite sides of the bottom section 1, a pair of cover sections 3 integrally connected to the outer sides of the side sections 2, and pairs of connecting flaps 5 integrally connected to the opposite ends of the bottom section 1 and the side sections 2, these sections 1-3 and flaps 5 being defined by respective fold or score lines for folding therearound, a pair of end section members 8, each having connecting flaps 12 at its opposite sides, the end section members 8 and the flaps 12 being defined by fold or score lines for folding therearound, and a pair of partition section members 9 of the same size as the end section members 8, each having connecting flaps 13 at its opposite sides, the partition section member 9 and the flaps 13 being defined by fold or score lines for folding therearound. The sheet member, the end section members 8 and the partition section members 9 are made of a sheet of cardboard, strawboard, corrugated cardboard, plastic board or the like. The side sections 2 of the sheet member are perpendicularly bent inwards and the cover sections 3 are bent outward. The flaps 5 of the bottom section 1 and the side sections 2 are perpendicularly bent inwards. Then, the end section members 8 having the perpendicularly bent flaps 12 are attached to the opposite ends of the bottom section 1 and the side sections 2 by sticking the flaps 12 onto the side sections 2 via adhesive and sticking the flaps 5 onto the outer surfaces of the end section members 8 via adhesive, thereby forming a package box. The partition section members 9 having the perpendicularly bent flaps 13 are in back to back contact with each other and the contacted partition section members 9 are mounted in the center of the package box parallel with the end section members 8 so as to separate its inside space into two parts by sticking the flaps 13 onto the side sections 2 via adhesive. The assembled box is provided with a cutting tape 6 across the central portions of the bottom section 1, the side sections 2 and the cover sections 3 therethrough along the partition section members 9. A pair of notches 7 are formed on the cutting tape 6 of the free end portions of the cover section 3.
As shown in FIG. 8, the assembled package box is divided into two small boxes by cutting the bottom section 1, the side section 2 and the cover sections 3 along the cutting tape 6 from the notches 7, and each of the partition section members 9 constitute one end wall of the divided small boxes. Therefore, the disadvantages of the double packed package boxes of the prior art can be overcome.
However, in this case, the assembled divisible package box has the projecting portions of the connecting flaps 12 and 13 on its inner surface. Accordingly, if a shock or vibration is given to the divisible package box containing a plurality of glass bottles, each contained within a carton, while it is being carried, the projecting portions of the flaps often damage the cartons. In addition, goods such as bottles, depending on their shape, may not stay properly arranged in line due to the projecting portions of the flaps. Further, on manufacturing the package box, there is an increase in the number of components and thus a decrease in manufacturing efficiency. Also, as there is an increase in the number of connecting flaps, there is an increase in the cost of the material.